


ZaGr Week 2020

by Katra21



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: F/M, Gen, One Shot Collection, One Word Prompts, ZAGR - Freeform, ZaGrWeek, ZaGrWeek2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:41:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25949008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katra21/pseuds/Katra21
Summary: Some one shots based on tumblr prompts. Technically connected to my Tremble for Me and Lie With Me stories. ZaGr. Zim and Gaz. zagrweek2020. com /tumblr/post/615931139845242880/hello-invader-zim-fans-we-on-the-zagr-discordI do not have a tumblr, so I'm just put my stories here.
Relationships: Gaz & Zim (Invader Zim), Gaz/Zim (Invader Zim)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In regards to the Tremble for Me timeline, this piece takes place in Gaz's first year of Hi-Skool, Zim's second.

DAY ONE: GAMING

Gaz stared at the poster, and sighed, _again_. Zim had been watching her. She had been stopping and staring and sighing for two weeks now. It wasn't right. If the poster made her angry then she should have just destroyed it. Whatever pathetic display of human weakness this was, watching it thoroughly disgusted Zim. Today would be the last time.

Zim slapped his hand down on the notice board, directly in front of Gaz's face. The earth girl didn't even flinch, but her gaze slid over to him. Zim pulled the offending piece of paper off the wall, but he didn't bother examining it, he'd done so on numerous occasions already. "What is it about this paper, little Gaz?"

"What are you talking about?" Gaz said, her usual veneer of calm well in place.

Zim was worried about jumping to the wrong conclusion, because Gaz would hurt him if he did. But at least she was likely to explain herself afterward, "This… _moping_ is beneath you."

"Tch," Gaz grit her teeth, but she didn't deny it.

Zim's eyes widened slightly and he started looking the poster over again, trying to pinpoint how and why it was distressing the purple human. It advertised a video game competition. But Gaz liked video games. Why would she be moping about something she should like?

"Think a little harder on it, maybe your head will explode," Gaz shook her head gently, before leaning over and pointing to the relevant information. "You can only enter the tournament as pairs."

Zim blinked, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You're a dumbass," Gaz groaned. Then she sighed, "Kragg and I broke up two weeks ago."

"So?"

"I was already signed up to compete. With Kragg. Then we broke up. So we dropped out of the tournament because you don't _do_ _things_ with your ex. At least not while the break up is fresh. Only other person I would join with is Maddy, but she found another partner while I was still signed up with Kragg."

"So... you're refusing to do what you want because you're hung up on your failed relationship with the male? Are you too pathetic to find an alternative?"

Her gaze sharpened, "Sounds like you want to suffer horribly today."

Zim flinched slightly, but he managed to hold his ground, "Why mope when you can threaten or coerce literally any of your fellow dirt people into joining you?"

"Don't insult me, I would never accept just anyone as a tournament partner. My fellow 'dirt people' would just drag my scores down into the dirt with them."

Actually, she had a very good point there, most of the human population were pathetic compared to Zim, "Very well then, threaten Zim."

"Wait, what?"

"My hand-eye coordination is much better than your average human pig-smelly," Zim crossed his arms, puffing out his chest.

The aura of doom around her lowered in intensity, an eyebrow raised in confusion, "You want to join the tournament with me?"

"Surely you don't think the mighty Zim would drag your scores down?"

"I don't know, maybe you would," Gaz smirked. "But maybe you can prove otherwise. My place, after school, I already have all the games that are going to be used in the tournament."

Zim proving himself was easy enough, Gaz signed them up for the competition the following day. The next three weeks were regularly spent playing video games at the Membrane house. Gaz called it training. Soon Zim knew the ins and outs of the tournament games. Zim was confident they would win, it was impossible not to with their combined superiority, but the day of the tournament itself had a small hiccup...

When the pairs lined up to present themselves to the small audience that the school contest had drawn in. Gaz froze up.

"Kragg," Gaz said, barely whispering the name under her breath.

Zim paused, looking around. He did recognize the blond human male that Gaz had recently stopped associating with, he didn't know the dark haired human female that wore the matching number, and also held onto Kragg's hand.

"We're dropping out," Gaz said lightly.

"What?" Zim blinked, "You put me through weeks of training, only to fall to your human weakness now? Pathetic."

"Zim," Gaz ground out his name dangerously.

"You would rather run, when you have the perfect opportunity to destroy him in this competition?"

Gaz huffed slightly, but turned back, "No... but we've got to crush them, completely and utterly, got it?"

Zim grinned, glad to see the aura of doom when it wasn't directed at himself, "Of course."

Very quickly Zim understood why Gaz had expected him to practice the games. The Kragg human was good, almost as good as Gaz herself. Equally quickly Zim saw why Gaz had been choosy about tournament partners, the female that Kragg has chosen was utter garbage. For every bit of lead the Kragg made his partner lost it. It was sloppy, nonsensical. Why choose a partner so disgustingly weak?

They crushed them in the first game, easily.

The second game was a little more even, but that was mostly because it was Gaz's worst out of the three. Zim gave it all his focus to sustain whatever leads Gaz was able to give him.

Another team took the top spot for that particular game, but more importantly, Kragg and his partner lost, horribly. That's when the dark haired girl had started crying.

Zim curled up his face in disgust as their opponent was blubbering like a baby about how hard they tried. The whole competition screeched to a halt while Kragg spent several minutes comforting her, and doing the disgusting face-pressing things that came with human mating. Gross as it was, Zim didn't realize it was a problem until the final game was actually started up. Because Gaz was no longer herself. Actually she was functionally catatonic.

"Gaz," Zim said, nudging her with his elbow when he realized it, " _Gaz_?"

She was shaking, her grip on her controller was too tight for her fingers to move. Someone was about to get doomed, and not just in the game world.

Zim briefly ignored his controller to grab Gaz by the wrist. "Stop _moping_ ," Zim sneered, "you're better than that crying sap."

"I'm not moping!" Gaz snapped, her controller cracking slightly as she turned her gaze. Her voice became a dangerous hiss, too soft to be overheard. "I'm disgusted! It's barely been a month! He dumped me to get together with someone else! And he lied to me about it." But then Gaz's fingers had found the buttons again. Her anger channeled into her gaming and despite how much ground they had lost in the beginning Gaz seemed to make it up without even opening her eyes.

They won. Barely. But it was enough. Gaz stomped away from the podium the moment they received the prize, which was another game. Zim went to do the appropriate thing when an opponent was conquered, gloat.

"Ha! You have failed, completely and utterly for all time. You will never play this game," Zim waved the prize around.

"Do I know you?" Kragg balked.

"More importantly you have exposed yourself for the miserable pathetic worm that you are! For only a pathetic worm is disloyal to a dangerous and powerful creature. Gaz and all her marvelous talents will never be sway to your stupid swooshy hair or multiple piercings again!"

"What?"

"Victory for ZIM!" he twirled away to join Gaz. Zim couldn't quite read her expression. Her face looked to be red from rage, but there didn't seem to be any aura of doom when Zim approached. "I have told that pathetic Kragg human the way of things."

"Yeah, I heard, you weren't exactly quiet about it," Gaz looked away, covering her face slightly with her hand.

"We should celebrate this victory... uh... maybe I could come over, and we could enjoy the prize together?"

Gaz shook her head, "I already have a copy of the game, you keep it. I don't care."

Zim sunk slightly. "Is there a different, more preferable way, to celebrate?"

"No." Gaz responded. "I don't want to celebrate."

"Are you moping again?" Zim's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not moping!" she snapped, and since she had no death grip on a game controller she slugged him in the arm.

"Well, good," Zim said, pouting slightly, his arm was probably going to be bruised.

"Thanks, for joining me," Gaz said, crossing her arms, "See you around, or something."

"I had fun!" Zim smiled just as she turned to leave. He didn't know why her face turned a little redder when he did so. But at least Gaz was back to her usual doom filled self.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt takes place during Dib and Zim's final year of Hi Skool.

DAY TWO: FORMAL

"Fine, if it will make you shut up I'll go to your stupid fucking prom with you," Gaz scoffed in frustration as she said it. Then watched the idiot do a triumphant little dance.

Honestly, Gaz didn't like the guy at all. Kobe was a gross half-jock half-goth kinda guy. Super invested in the football team, but spent every waking minute bashing on the cheerleaders for being vapid. Hypocrite formed out of beef. But it was one date, it made him shut up, and it made any other offers to go to the dance dry up instantly, because everyone in the school knew by next period.

Still, at least Kobe went all-out as prom dates went. A week later he was asking what colour dress she would wear, even brought his tie to school to make sure they would match okay. He got them a black limo, from a reputable service. He cleaned himself up pretty good, though the eye liner made Gaz cringe inwardly. But the corsage was beautiful, a black rose with a blood red ribbon that really matched the dress Gaz had found.

But really, Gaz only wanted to go to that prom to see what nonsense Zim and Dib got into.

Dib had been sweating like a pig for weeks before he managed to work up the nerve to ask Janice to the dance. Of course, he had no idea that Gaz had been quietly pushing them both into it, including some minor blackmail.

Zim had practically created a research paper on going stag and how it was "perfectly normal" that he didn't want to have some girl human clinging to him all night. Someone even suggested that he could take a boy human instead and Zim had hurriedly amended the research paper to prove that it was normal to want no company at all.

The graduating year had ended up with an underwater theme, which was painfully tacky. It made Gaz’s deep red color scheme painfully clash with the surrounding blues and greens. Would have been better if Dib had been successful at getting his space theme chosen. But there they were, matching nothing but each other, and it made Gaz really uncomfortable. She should have just told Kobe to piss off rather than giving in to his persistent nagging. She didn’t want to associate with the guy day to day, let alone actually date the guy.

Dib and Janice looked good. Dib matched the theme with a navy blue, and although Janice stood out in yellow it was complemented by the surrounding colors.

The only other person at the dance who stood out like a sore thumb was Zim. His tux was bright pink. He also made no attempts to be part of the crowd, yelling at anyone who even approached him as he sat on the sidelines giving disgusted glances at the actual couples at the dance.

When Kobe asked her to the dance floor, Gaz made her discomfort clear. "You get two songs, that's it, so choose wisely."

She should have just said no to the dancing to begin with, because, of course, his first choice was a slow song. "I'm not dancing to this, pick something else," she sneered. So instead they got their picture taken, and got some punch.

Then Kobe chose another slow song. "Are you thick? You know that's not why I'm here, right?"

"Well, we could get out of here," Kobe offered, and for a moment Gaz sighed with relief, until he held up a keycard for a hotel.

Gaz just shook her head, walking away with a scoff of disgust. Kobe, like the idiot he was, followed. Gaz started looking around for Janice's yellow dress, even if Kobe could beat Dib up, he'd surely drop the idea with her brother around.

Gaz circled the whole room, but she couldn't spot Dib and Janice. But there was at least one sorta friendly face. Zim didn't snap at her like he did the others when she approached the table and threw herself down next to the Irken. "I'm going stag with you now," she said firmly.

"Oh?" Zim paused. Then his eyes narrowed at Kobe approaching the table.

"Giving me the runaround aren't you?"

"Get back to your smelly gyrating party, your kind is not welcome here!" Zim told the interloper, and Gaz felt a bit of the frustration in her chest relax.

"What?!"

"I have reserved this table for the deer people who do not need your filthy mating rituals!"

"You can keep your stupid table, but that's my date."

"I'm not your anything, Kobe, fuck off," Gaz said simply.

"Hah!" Zim laughed triumphant.

"For crying out loud, Gaz will you stop doing this angry-coy shit?" Kobe asked.

"It's just the angry, there's no coy here."

"I'm confused now, why are we talking about colourful fish?" Zim asked, looking back and forth.

"Alright, too soon with the ask, fine," Kobe threw up his arms, "can we get back to the dance then?"

"You're a presumptuous asshole."

"What did I presume?! You're Gaz Membrane, you're not going to say yes to something you don't want, and you said yes, to prom, with me, the place where all girls expect to get laid."

That's when Gaz kicked the table. And beaned Kobe in the head.

"Expecting someone to want to put out just because of what day of year it is presumptuous!" Gaz said angrily, her temper flaring up around her. "Expecting anyone of being willing to put out on a first date is presumptuous!" Gaz reached for the corsage and tore it off, "Going the extra mile, with any ulterior motive, besides simple happiness, is being presumptuous!"

Gaz was seething, and she dropped the corsage into a candle to watch it burn.

Of course, this was when Dib showed up, "Gaz, calm down, you're going to get kicked out," her brother said. "What's going on here?"

"Something about expecting to get laid," Zim enlightened him. And a fire seemed to light in Dib's eyes too.

"What the hell Kobe? You asshole!" Dib snapped. 

Seeing that he was now significantly outnumbered, Kobe threw his hands up, walking away with an offended demeanor.

Dib helped them right the table, his eyes going between the doors Kobe had left through and the chaperones that were now giving them steely glances. "I'm going to go make sure that Kobe can't get back in here," Dib said, "Zim, you better look after my sister."

"I don't need to listen to you stink-beast," Zim said snidely, dismissing Dib with a wave, "Gaz's safety was assured the moment she chose to ally with Zim at the stag table."

Gaz snuffled and smiled slightly at their usual banter, but Dib shuffled off to be the peacekeeper, and Zim sat down again. He let out a breath that vibrated his lips, before he leaned over, "What do colourful fish have to do with what just happened?" Zim asked innocently.

"Different word that sounds the same. Kobe thinks I have a fragile ego that needs to hide being attracted to someone."

"Ha ha ha, what an idiot," Zim grinned.

"You are without a wrist ornament," Zim noted, and he started reaching for the decor on the table, "give me a moment."

"You don't have to-" Gaz froze when Zim smashed a punch glass, looking around briefly. Now she just had to see it.

"Combination pretty thing and dangerous weaponry," Zim offered his creation, the shards of glass formed a sort of flower, and he had trimmed it with some red beads, the whole thing held together by some sort of quick setting of metal.

"Damn, that looks cool," Gaz admitted.

Zim tied the new corsage to her arm with a hardy grin.

One of the chaperones came up to them, Gaz was expecting something about Kobe, but instead, she informed them that Zim had to get his prom pictures taken.

"Come along little Gaz," he said invitingly.

"I already got ones taken... with Kobe."

"Burn them, take better ones with Zim."

"Yeah, okay," Gaz shrugged, but she couldn't help grinning.

They made silly poses together. They casually insulted the terrible dance theme together. Gaz actually had a fun time. She didn't even want to leave when Dib offered to take her home, not that she wanted a ride in his death trap of a car. But she conceded that it was still smarter than going alone.

A few weeks later when she got the pictures the difference was clear. With Kobe they sure looked like they matched, but it was planned. With Zim, and his ridiculous pink tux, they matched just as much, without even trying, without sacrificing who either of them were.

Gaz didn't want to admit it, but Kobe was actually half right about her being angry-coy. She gave Zim the cold shoulder for a few weeks.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is just a snippet from a random date, probably between Tremble for Me and Lie With Me...

DAY THREE: SOULMATES

"Bright orange is not jungle camouflage, except on planet Nirflim," Zim said passionately. The tiger was not amused, but Gaz smiled, which was always a good thing in Zim's book. "Where to next Gaz?"

"Aviary next," Gaz pointed at a large glass enclosure and started walking. Zim would follow his love-pig anywhere, naturally, but a series of signs leading up to the door did make him hesitate a smidge.

Please keep extra quiet. Our birds are finding their soulmates right now.

No imitating or playing bird calls. Your phone does not need a soulmate.

Soulmates might be using the pathways, watch your step, no interrupting please.

Zim furrowed his brow slightly. He knew about souls, a silly human justification for treating lesser species as equals. Mates either referred to friends with whom one would consume alcohol, or reproductive partners. But trying to combine those two concepts in his head didn't really make sense.

While Zim tried, he couldn't help but keep looking up at Gaz. First because he was following her, but also, because in the mind he was already referring to her as his mate... even though the didn't drink together, and she had literally given up on having a reproductive partner by choosing him.

Once they hit the tenth or so of the signs, Zim couldn't resist anymore. "They keep using the term soulmates. What is that even supposed to mean?" he asked Gaz.

"Don't worry about it, it's stupid human crap," Gaz said, a hint of disdain obvious on her face.

"But how can I properly belittle it if I don't know what it is?" Zim challenged, and immediately got another smile from Gaz.

"It the idea, a stupid idea, that there's one and only one person in the world who will make you happy, and that the universe sorta conspires for you to meet them." Zim's eyes widened a little, his chest suddenly feeling a little tighter. "So people, being stupid, get obsessed with finding 'the one' and will get super critical of people they might otherwise be interested in, then flip to being super lenient when they think they have found them."

"That-" Zim swallowed slightly, "does indeed sound stupid. But why apply it to birds?"

"Well that's because most people still believe the myth of birds mating for life and being the ultimate faithful companions," Gaz waved her arms a little to punctuate how trite and pandering it was.

Zim felt like his eyes were watering a little. Gaz clearly didn't like the concept, but Zim felt... moved. It was a beautiful sentiment, romantic even.

Then Gaz turned back to look at him, "Okay, what's with the dumb face?"

"Psh, what face?" Zim tried to play it off. "It... must be the air in here, making my lenses a bit scratchy."

He wanted it to be real. He wanted her to be his soulmate. He wanted for his stupid mission to have been the universe conspiring against him in order to bring him to her.

There was a stern appraisal in Gaz's eyes, "You love the idea don't you?"

"Yeeeehgkeeesss," Zim burst into tears, hiccupping a little in the middle.

Gaz grabbed his hand, pulling him away to a quieter corner. "Geez Zim, quit blubbering, I may think soulmates are stupid, but that doesn't mean you have to agree with me."

"It's just so beautiful." Zim continued to cry. "Like poetry vomiting," Gaz snuffled a little laugh, "but you just think it's stupid."

"But it doesn't mean that you're stupid," Gaz said. "You are stupid, but not for this, specifically."

"Do you," Zim snorted back the mucus his crying was building up. "Do you wanna be my soulmate?"

Gaz's face immediately flushed red, "What?! I mean- I uh-" she fidgeted intensely, but Zim held her hand gently, his fingers whorling gently around her skin. "I don't... not want you to be my soulmate."

Relief flooded Zim, and so to avoiding saying anything else potentially stupid, he pulled Gaz in and gently kissed her lips. The little sigh of happiness, and Gaz leaning a little more weight into the motion was all the reassurance that Zim needed.

Of course Gaz didn't believe in soulmates. She hadn't dated the magnificent Zim until recently. For a time she had even questioned if Zim was capable of such attachments at all.

Gaz eased away from the kiss. "I should've figured you'd love the idea, you were some kind of closet romantic geek this whole time."

"Clearly the effect of a soulmate," Zim grinned giddily back at her.

Gaz pushed his face away, firm, but not harshly, "That's enough of that, can't spend the entire date making out in the corner..." Zim pouted slightly, it sounded like a great idea to him, but they could save more kissing for later. "Let's let that falcon out into the main enclosure," Gaz suggested, thumbing to the predatory bird in a segregated section.


End file.
